It seems as if the Harry Potter buzz has somewhat subsided - the holiday rushes are over, and going to the movies can be a relatively crowd-free experience. This post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas weekend offers a little breather from mega-money mongers, allowing room for three flicks a little more grounded in reality. We travel from post-Civil War Texas, to Revolutionary France, to Naval battlegrounds, viewing corruption, debauchery, courage, and, as always, that smattering of romance that movies can never do without.
Texas Rangers
In an attempt to revitalize the classic Western flick for new audiences, director Steve Miner (Halloween: H20) leads a cast of pretty young actors including James Van Der Beek (Varsity Blues), Rachel Leigh Cook (Josie and the Pussycats), and Aston Kutcher (Dude, Where's My Car?) in a tale of do-gooding, machismo, and romance. Set in the Texas frontier after the Civil War, Texas Rangers tells the tale of four men who form a justice agency to clean up the remaining dangerous territories. Based on the true story of the real Texas Rangers, the script also offers a love triangle subplot between Kutcher, Cook, and Van Der Beek.The Affair of the Necklace
Academy Award winner Hillary Swank makes her long-awaited return as a leading actress in this interpretation of the notorious Countess Jeanne de la Motte-Valois's legendary "Affair of the Diamond Necklace." Swank plays the young woman who leaves her home in search of what she believes to be her royal heritage. What starts out as a personal quest soon leads to intriguing discoveries about her husband, a diamond necklace, Marie Antoinette, and the rumblings of a Revolution on the horizon.Behind Enemy Lines
Fledgling director John Moore takes the helm in this patriotically-minded film, which stars veteran actor Gene Hackman (Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State) and Owen Wilson (Meet the Parents, Armageddon). Wilson portrays a Navy pilot shot down over enemy territory, struggling to survive while being pursued by hostile forces. It is up to Hackman, his commanding officer, to carry out the rescue mission in the face of opposition from authorities.
